Warm and Fuzzy
Would you believe us, if we told you the little girl who gave Ben Seaver his first kiss on the lovable TV show “Growing Pains,” has an album on the Easy Street and Sonic Boom Top-Seller lists?
Truth, it seems, really can be stranger than fiction.
We are of course, talking about Rabbit Fur Coat by Jenny Lewis with the Watson Twins, the new solo album by the lovely Rilo Kiley front-woman.
This week, Rabbit Fur Coat resides in the #6 position at Easy Street, and the #11, #8, and #10 positions at Sonic Boom’s Ballard, Capitol Hill, and Fremont stores, respectively. (Belle & Sebastian and Cat Power still hold the #1 and #2 spots at all Easy Street and Sonic Boom locations… but Seattlest has some homework to do before we get to them).
We first heard Jenny Lewis with the Watson Twins while web-streaming local radio savior, KEXP, and upon hearing the song “You Are What You Love,” with Lewis’ crystalline alto, graced by the Watson Twins’ other-worldly back-up vocals, we rejoiced at the profound simplicity of the song’s chorus. Opening with an easy, alluring keyboard melody and lively drumbeat, Lewis’ voice enters the scene with two parts charm, one part hope, and a dash of regret, reminding us, “You are what you love, and not what loves you back.”
It wasn’t long before we found ourselves combing the aisles of the Ballard Sonic Boom, searching for Jenny. We found the album quickly and almost by accident, as it just happened to be the one whose cover caught our eye so quickly.
Now, Seattlest doesn’t normally review cover art, but this one is worth briefly mentioning, if for no other reason than the fact that, for a fleeting moment, it scared the crap out of us. There, standing in the middle of a long hallway in a striking red dress, is Jenny Lewis, flanked on either side by the Watson Twins, looking ever the grown-up version of those creepy twins in The Shining. We eventually stopped whimpering however and took the album home with us.
Rabbit Fur Coat begins with “Run Devil Run,” an a cappella warm-up with only three words (see, song title). Not a very interesting track, but it does grant a sense of organic preparation for what’s to come, as Lewis and company immediately tear into “The Big Guns.” Simply put, Seattlest loves this song. It begins with an upbeat guitar duo, enter Lewis, enter bass drum, commence with elevating chorus:
“Have mercy, have mercy, have mercy on me,
Let’s pretend that everybody here wants peace.”
The song then dives into a regretful, “What have we done…” but quickly resurfaces with a rapid-fire hand-clapping reminiscent of Santa Esmeralda’s “Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood,” (Kill Bill Volume I).
Other key tracks:
“Happy” …A slow, haunting ballad for our imperfect loved ones.
“Melt Your Heart” …Bound to just that. The music and vocals promise to expose all of your misplaced affections.
In short, Lewis could gain to work on her song writing a bit, but on the whole, this album is a comforting (and enjoyable) reminder that good girls will inherently stay good, even in bad times.
After repeated listens, the album cover starts to mean something else to us. A representation perhaps, of the album itself… An austere elegance, hiding a subdued simplicity.
Seattlest Declaration: Not a masterpiece… but a fine piece nonetheless.
[Jenny Lewis with the Watson Twins will play March 8th at Neumo’s]
